Amusement Park Amusements
by hebrewhernia
Summary: Formerly Untitled. Hey, anyone remember this fic? from June and July? I rediscovered and needed to finish it. Third and final chapter is up!
1. Amusement Park Amusements

Author's Note: I was at an amusement park today, so the idea kind of unfolded as the day progressed

Author's Note: I was at an amusement park today, so the idea kind of unfolded as the day progressed. The amusement park in this is based on the amusement park closest to where I live. True to the season, it's June in the story. Writing about December and January in the middle of June gets pretty weird after the first 11 chapters. Chapter 12 is coming very slowly. 

None of my stories are related to the others unless it says 'sequel to this or that and the other thing'. 

Also, if there wasn't an amusement park in or near Kingsport, there is now.

As always, this is T/V with a note of J/C on the side with a tad bit of humor- really, what else do I write!

Untitled 

"Caitie's gone blond!" Said Hank to Jamie as Caitie ran off to the bathroom, giggling, with Val. 

"We've lost another one to the dark side," Jamie said and shook his head disapprovingly. 

"Guys?" spoke up Tyler, "Blond is a light color. You're the dark side." 

"Blonds." Said Jamie and rolled his eyes. He and Hank laughed.

It was a hot summer day, and Tyler, Val, Jamie, Caitie, and Hank were spending the afternoon at the amusement park. Due to the heat, Tyler, Hank, and Jamie had taken off their over shirts and were just wearing white wife-beater undershirts, seemingly oblivious to the effects that had on Val and Caitie. The girls ran off to the bathroom to get rid of their giggling fit, prompting the discussions between the guys. 

***

Val and Caitie giggled hysterically in the bathroom. They were more nervous giggles than anything else; "Oh-my-gosh-he-looks-so-hot-that-it's-making-me-nervous-so-I'm-giggling –like-a-madwoman " giggles, not "he-looks-so-bad-it's-hysterical-giggles."

"He looks sooo hot!" exclaimed Caitie after they finished giggling. 

"You always say that you're just friends, Caitie! You've got it bad, but so do I!" said Val causing another fit of giggles. 

***

"What is taking so long?" Tyler wondered exasperatedly. 

"They're girls." replied Hank and Jamie simultaneously, rolling their eyes. 

***

The girls finally came back from the bathroom (after 3 giggling fits besides the initial one).

Val immediately said, "I want to ride the carousel," earning stares from Jamie, Hank, and Caitie. 

But Tyler just said, "Um, okay," and the rest followed suit.

They got in line for the carousel and got on shortly. Val and Tyler went on horses that were side by side. When they thought (key word: thought) no one was looking, Tyler slipped his hand through Val's. Val let the carousel music put her in a very weird trance. Tyler looked at her worriedly. 

"Hey, Caitie," Jamie nudged Caitie from the row of horses behind Val and Tyler, "Look at the little lovebirds." He grinned, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

And all Caitie could do was nod. She was drowning in those eyes. And she didn't want to be saved. _WHAT? _Caitie gave herself a mental slap on the head. _He's your friend. Your friend. Friend. Friend. Friendfriendfriendfriend. _Caitie's mental chant blurred together, the words smearing. _Oh, heck! _Caitie thought. _I'll talk to Val. how do I tell him…? _

Hank snickered. Overhearing Jamie's comment, Hank looked at Val and Tyler.

The three of them kept their eyes on Tyler and Val as Tyler leaned in closer- probably to kiss Val, was the assumption- closer… closer… and the carousel stopped suddenly, throwing Tyler to the ground, and causing Caitie, Jamie, Hank, and even Val, to a degree, to erupt in laughter- after they saw that nothing was hurt but his dignity.Val gave Tyler a hand up and they continued on through the park.

***

A few hours later, it was getting dark, and cooler. The guys had put their over shirts back on about 45 minutes ago. 

"Oh! Let's go on that ride!" Val said, pointing to a Himalayas ride, the big diagonal circle

with little hills, where you go up and down. It was very cold outside, and Val was very temperature-sensitive, so she was cold even in her sweatshirt. 

Everyone agreed. 

There was no line for the ride, so Val and the others ran through and into the ride. Val picked a car and sat down in it, teeth chattering quietly. 

"Mind if I sit here?" Val looked up and saw Tyler. 

"No, no, I don't mind, yes, just sit down." Val said. It said for larger people to sit on the outside, but Tyler was bigger anyway. 

After some garbled general instructions through a loudspeaker, the ride began. Everyone was forced towards the outside. They knew why from science class, but it was summer and their science skills were shot. 

Val ended up pressed towards Tyler against her will, and she struggled not to get close, but she looked around and saw Caitie give her a little wink from her position snuggled up against Jamie, giving Val reassurance. She let herself slide towards Tyler. Tyler, being sensitive to Val's sensitivity (and totally unaware of science class, for all his overachieving), mistook this as Val being cold, so he put his arm around her. 

Caitie and Jamie read Val like a book, her inner debates clearly expressed on her face, as they watched. They smirked at the oblivious Tyler, and winked at Val, giving her reassurance to make the next move. 

Hank watched Tyler and Val, too. Then he looked over at Caitie and Jamie, who alternated between smirking at the other couple and making goo-goo eyes at each other. 

And then the ride was over, and Tyler was helping Val out of the little car, and likewise with Caitie and Jamie. 

***

An hour later found them splitting up at the front entrance. They had come in two separate cars. Hank's car had Hank, Caitie, and Jamie, and Tyler's car had Tyler and Val. So, they went their separate ways. 

***

"Okay, Val, we're at your house," Tyler said, breaking an uncomfortable silence in the car. 

"Thanks for driving me Tyler. See you at the station." Val said. 

"Yeah, bye." Tyler said, wishing desperately that he'd kissed her goodnight. 

A/N: I'm not writing a sequel and I didn't add in Jamie, Caitie, and Hank's ending because I thought it was a good place to end at Tyler and Val. 

REVIEW or I won't upload chapter 12 of my other story. Oh, I'm so evil. 


	2. Berating and Debating

Author's Note: This is also inspired by yesterday's trip to the amusement park

Author's Note: This is also inspired by last week's trip to the amusement park. It's very strange. This is a Nick/Brooke fic to a certain extent, and it's only going to be this one chapter. This was inspired by my sunburn, and a line in the story "Real World 2" by Strawberry Angel.Hey, guess what! It's another flashback! Hey, guess what again! I don't own anything! 

Berating and Debating 

Brooke Lanier sat on her bed, crying. The day had been perfectly awful, and now she had to go to the station. 

"Hey, Brooke! We have to go to the station in ten minutes!" Val yelled from the kitchen.

"Coming!" a tearful Brooke yelled back, hoping Val wouldn't notice her shaky voice. Luckily for Brooke, Val didn't. _Probably daydreaming about Tyler, _Brooke thought bitterly yet wistfully. _I could've been sitting here lost in a cloud daydreaming about Nick- but no! I just had to go and screw things up! And I've only liked him since forever… I never would have guessed that he liked me too… and then I ruined it. If only I had shut up for just 3 seconds! That's all it would have taken…_

_ _

Brooke slowly rose in a stupor to go wash her face as she recollected the day's events. It had been perfect. Her mother had finally given her a small freedom. She and Nick could go to the amusement park as long as they checked in with Val every half hour. She and Nick had a blast. It had been perfect. 

Nick had worn the typical guy thing- shorts and a t-shirt. Brooke wore a T-back tank top and shorts, and although she applied plenty of sunscreen, by the end of the day her back was getting sunburned.That was where the trouble began. Brooke already had a strange tan line from where she got sunburned in a short-sleeved t-shirt and then it turned to tan, like usual.Oh, if she could only change it, take it back somehow….

***memory***

Brooke peered over her now-pink shoulder to examine the sunburn on her back.

"Ouch, that must hurt." said Nick, seemingly very concerned.He also seemed sort of fidgety, the whole time. 

"Yeah," Brooke moaned. "But what'll be even worse is when it turns to tan. I'll have the weirdest tan lines in the whole world."

"Brooke-" 

"It'll be so embarrassing! I'll have to hide it in a t-shirt!" 

"Brooke, listen-" 

"I won't be able to wear tank tops, or a bathing suit! I can't go swimming all summer!"

"Brooke!" Nick burst out suddenly angry. "Gosh! You're just shallow like the rest of them! I'm trying to ask you something important and you won't shut up about your stupid tan lines!" Nick shook his head angrily. 

"Well Nick, I'm listening now, ask away." Brooke said. 

"Now I'm not so sure if I want to ask you to go out with me! Gosh Brooke, I've liked you as more than a friend for a long time, but now, I'm not so sure. I don't think I will. Girls!" Nick said. 

Brooke was astounded. Shell-shocked. The world spun around her, threatening to topple her over, and she'd go careening into the ground. She liked Nick too, but didn't want to strain their friendship by telling him how she felt. And she had just ruined it…

***end memory***

"Hurry up! Brooke, we're going to be late!" Val yelled. Brooke hurried out the door after her sister into the cool night air.

***

Val smiled when she saw Tyler as soon as she entered the station. Tyler forced a smile in return and went back to watching TV, silently berating and debating with himself. 

**_Gosh. You should have just kissed her. _**_No, I'm sure she doesn't feel the same as me. **Look at her! She's staring! At you! **Really? **Yes! **Are you sure? **Yes! **Positive? **Yes! Yes! Yes!**_

**_ _**

***

In the office, Brooke madly pawed through one of the many endless cabinet drawers full of paperwork. She was had. Her sunburn hurt really badly, the whole Nick episode was driving her crazy, and on top of that, Tyler didn't do his paperwork! 

"TYLER!" Brooke roared. 

"What?" Tyler asked miserably. In his distraction from debating and berating, he missed Brooke's angry tone. 

"You didn't do your paperwork!" This time, Tyler noticed Brooke's less-than-pleased tone of voice. He ran into the office, grabbed it, and left, afraid to face the wrath of Brooke. 

***

"What's wrong with Brooke?" Tyler asked Val quietly. Val shook her head. 

"I don't know.She didn't say anything at home… she just sat in our room. I don't know what happened after the amusement park.Nick's mom picked them up. Don't you remember? I just don't know…." Val's serious voice turned teasing. "Did poor Tyler get beat up by little Brookie? " And before Val knew it, her hands moved on their own accord, tousling Tyler's hair playfully. But he didn't seem to mind at all. Instead, he reached over to tousle her hair back, but the alarm sounded.Each asked himself or herself, _What happened here? _And the super squad was off, leaving Brooke the Paperwork Queen to her duties.

***

The squad returned from their call, laughing. 

"What's so funny?" Brooke demanded. They laughed harder. "What is so flipping funny?" Brooke demanded shrilly and loudly.

"This guy calls saying he was bit by a supposedly rabid wild animal. Turns out, he was bitten by his neighbor's runaway hamster. He's barely even bleeding from a teeny tiny cut, and he's practically having a panic attack." Val explained. Brooke laughed along with the squad for a moment, her troubles forgotten. After a few moments, Brooke and Tyler returned to what they were supposed to be doing: paperwork. 

***

Brooke slid tiredly into bed. The day had been long and incredibly awful, for the most part. Oh, well. Tomorrow was a new day. She'd call Nick and apologize. Beg. Grovel. Get down on her hands and knees. Everyone has their shallow moments, their personality lows. Nobody was perfectly uncaring about their looks. 

***

(THE NEXT DAY –duh!) 

Brooke put her cereal bowl from breakfast in the sink, flopped onto the couch, and turned on the TV. 

"Hey Brooke, why don't you go outside? Call Nick and ride your bikes or whatever. It's a nice day out." Val suggested. At the word 'Nick' Brooke burst into tears. She just started bawling uncontrollably. 

"What's wrong with her?" Caitie asked as she entered the Lanier household at 9:30 that morning. 

And Brooke poured out everything. Everything. 

***

"So, what are you going to do now that you and Nick are splitsville?" Caitie asked.

"What do you mean?"Brooke asked suspiciously. "We never went out or anything."

"Oh, really?" Caitie asked mischievously.

"You were going to." Val amended. 

"So what are you going to do?" Caitie asked.

"I don't know. Probably sit around on the couch and mope, go to the station, and wait for Nick to call in the unlikely event that he still likes me or still wants to be friends-" Brooke was cut off by the phone ringing. 

"Hello?" Val answered. Pause. "Oh, hi Tyler!" Val gushed perkily. "Mmhmm…okay… alright… see you there! You too! Bye!" at the words 'you too' her eyes lit up, even brighter than before, if that was possible. And before Brooke and Caitie knew it, she was out the door before any questions could be asked, leaving the other two girls to merely stare at the screen door, still swinging, in bewilderment. 

"What was that?" Brooke asked.

"You know, I have absolutely no idea."

***

Val walked down the sidewalk on her way to the park, reveling. _Wow, he likes me. No, wait, he LOVES me! He said so himself! On the phone! Wow! I can't believe he loves me too… it's mutual…**sigh** _

_ _

***

[Plink. pl-plink. pl-plink. plink… plink plink pl-plink plink…pl-plink plink plink plink pl-plink… plink pl-pl-plink pl-plink…] 

_ _

Brooke's hands picked out a tune on Tyler's keyboard in her bedroom to a poem she had written. Okay, so it was more like a verse, seeing as it was only four lines, but she could add more if she wanted. 

**_SCREECH! THUMP! "AAAAAHHHHHH!" _**

"OMG! What was that?" Brooke asked herself as she very quickly ran outside. Then, as she saw what had happened, "NICK!!!!!!!… Nick, I'll be right back don't move I'm calling 911!" 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** 

Author's Note: no, he's not dead… unless he is. I'm being very cryptic here. The reason for that I'm not telling if I don't get reviews for this. :-) Oh I'm so evil…. been talking to Ivy Leaves too much… BWA HA HA!


	3. Biting Fingernails

The world spun around Brooke as she dashed back into the house. Thank goodness I'm the levelheaded one, she thought to herself, dialing 911.  
  
She automatically responded to the questions that the calm voice on the other end of the line asked. Then, as the voice instructed, she ran outside, kept talking to Nick, heard the siren thank goodness the siren, and then the super squad, oh so they were on duty, and Hank was calm and so was Jamie, Val was upset and Tyler was steadying her, Val's training took over, Nick was in the ambulance, Brooke was allowed to come along, and suddenly the world was speeding by and she couldn't hear the siren for the ringing in her ears.  
  
The ambulance stopped, they were at the hospital, Brooke was shown to a waiting room, Val called their parents and explained. The room spun around Brooke. Everyone was moving so fast, and Brooke was covered in tar, shock slowing her actions, her thinking, the very firing from neuron to neuron in her brain.  
  
Brooke realized vaguely that she was shaking. she could still hear Nick crying in the ambulance- "Owwwwwwwww..owwwwwww.." A deep moaning. "It hurts.oww."  
  
Hey. her face was wet. Why was her face wet? Tears.  
  
So. Nick had been hit by a car. A car hit Nick. How badly he was injured, she didn't know. Hey, there was Val.  
  
Almost before she knew it, Brooke was running over to Val, who was approaching. Val started to say something. "How bad is it?" Brooke cut her off. "How bad?"  
  
Val blinked. Val blinked several times. Val quickly blinked repeatedly several times. "Well?" Brooke demanded. By Val's silence, Brooke assumed the worst. Tears streamed down her face. "WELL?" She was nearly shouting now. Good thing the waiting room was empty.  
  
"IS NICK OKAY?" Brooke's shouting drew stares from the hallway. Val was startled.  
  
"I-I-I-it."  
  
"It what, Val, it what?" Brooke asked. She was the traumatized one, Nick was her friend, and here she was, coaxing it out of Val. It was bad, had to be bad, if it was okay, Val would be saying, 'he's fine, he's fine, just a broken rib or two, a broken arm or leg maybe, he's fine, he's fine, or at least he will be.' But no. Val had to have the answer coaxed out of her, by her twelve-year-old, deathly afraid younger sister. The sheer absurdity of it struck Brooke. The tears had nearly stopped in Brooke's quest for answers, but now she broke down, sobbing.  
  
"I.I." she started, tried to start. "I'm the one whose friend is hurt. I know it's bad, okay, I know it's bad. If it were okay, you'd have no problem telling me, right? Right?" She took a deep breath.  
  
"It isn't my place to disclose that information." Val had to force the words out of her own throat. She felt her own heart break as a shocked expression crossed Brooke's face. "Patient Confidentiality Code. I can't disclose anything. it's all up to the doctors." Val felt a burden had been lifted. Brooke sagged. A new burden replaced the old one.  
  
Val had forced out the words, and by doing so, shifted blame to the doctors, stalled for time. But by doing so, she now had to deal with Brooke's reaction. Val steeled herself for the equal possibilities of tantrum and wheedling. But to her surprise, Brooke merely said, "Oh. Right." She said it in a small voice, but almost relieved. Maybe part of her wasn't ready to deal with the information right now. It's better to have hope that it could be okay balanced with terror that it may not, than to have the sheer terror, no it's not okay, he's partially paralyzed, fully paralyzed, comatose, dead. Brooke chose hope.  
  
*  
  
Brooke chose hope.  
  
But not for long. Half an hour later, Brooke's parents and Nick's family and other friends were assembled in the waiting room. A doctor walked in. Brooke was surrounded by Nick and her other friends- they knew how close the two were. Had been, possibly. Brooke shook her head- don't think like that!  
  
The doctor cleared his throat, checked his clipboard, looked up. "Regarding Nick," he said. "Regarding Nick." He looked down at his clipboard. He was a nice-looking doctor, sandy-blond hair, short beard and mustache. He wore glasses and was the kind of doctor who you'd think had a nice smile, if he wasn't frowning all the time. "Regarding Nick. he's awake now. Room 211, just down the hall. Only three visitors at a time, please." The doctor smiled as Nick's parents automatically got up and walked down the hall.  
  
*  
  
Nick's parents returned several minutes later. "You go, Brooke." Her friends all nudged her. Grabbing Amy's shirt, she said to Amy, "Come with me?" How could Amy refuse? Brooke had her by the shirt collar. Shrugging, she okayed and followed Brooke down the hall, attempting to match her erratic pace.  
  
All down the hallway, Brooke would walk quickly, wanting to see Nick, then pause, slow down, and trudge the next few paces. It was as if she couldn't wait to see Nick, but couldn't bear the thought of the horror the sight may bring. The doctor was so unspecific; had Brooke her wits about her, she would've asked the doctor how bad Nick's injuries were.  
  
They reached 211. The number had such significance: horror and hope, combined- no, smashed together- and embodied in the plain numbers above the door.  
  
Brooke pushed open the door, not knowing what to expect. Amy was right behind her. Brooke bit her lip and walked further into the room. Her stomach tumbled with anxiety.  
  
  
  
"Hi, Nick." She said. Her voice was small.  
  
"Hey, Brooke!" He replied enthusiastically. Another step and she'd see him, she decided. She took a deep breath. Amy, not wanting to be forgotten, simply gave Brooke a little shove and Brooke was in. Amy quickly walked in, "Hey, Nick," filling in behind Brooke, so Brooke couldn't get out.  
  
"Hey, Amy," Nick said.  
  
Brooke looked Nick over. The grin -he must be on painkillers- the few stitches above his right eye, the cast on his right arm. Brooke took a deep breath, and suddenly the room exploded with noise.  
  
"I've been so worried!"  
  
"I'm not that bad, really!"  
  
"I'm sorry!"  
  
"Me too!"  
  
"Huh??"  
  
"I just got hit slightly, on the side!"  
  
"Aren't you in pain?"  
  
"Sorry? Huh?"  
  
"Painkillers are my new best friend!"  
  
"I'm so sorry!"  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Sign my cast?"  
  
"Did I miss something?"  
  
And so it went on; one would've thought there were thirty kids in there, not three, for all the noise they made. Amy was lost, Brooke was sorry, and Nick was. well, probably more himself than the other two combined. Amy and Brooke signed the neon green cast, the third and fourth signatures, after Nick's parents. As they did, Brooke and Nick told Amy all about the amusement park.  
  
After Amy understood what happened and Brooke (and Nick, to a degree) finally stopped apologizing profusely, Brooke asked, "So. when can you leave?"  
  
"They want to keep me overnight for observation, so the doctors say. I'll most likely be free to go tomorrow."  
  
*  
  
Brooke and Amy returned, as the other kids took turns saying hi and signing Nick's cast.  
  
After their shift, Tyler had driven Val over to the hospital and offered to stay in case Val needed him. Val, never wanting to decline being with Tyler, had said sure, and now they waited together to go home. Val leaned her head on Tyler's shoulder. "I'm so glad Nick's okay," she murmured.  
  
"I know," Tyler said. "I know."  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, the Laniers went with Nick's parents to get Nick. He was allowed to go, everything was fine, the arm should heal properly. He had to go back soon to get the stitches removed.  
  
"I," remarked Brooke, "am glad to be mostly back to normal."  
  
**End**  
  
Author's Note: I made up the Patient Confidentiality Code to suit my purposes. Didn't Hank mention something like that with the whole French teacher thing, in that episode? Anywho. I found yet another IaHb fic that wasn't finished and I felt the need to finish it. Hm.. lots of emotional distress, isn't there? Anyone know what happened to Ivy Leaves? I think she'd approve. 


End file.
